The Truth About Gluten

When it comes to nutrition, there’s never a shortage of ‘the latest ways to be healthier or to lose weight’. Currently, going gluten-free is right up there at the top. Visit any super market and you’ll stumble across various gluten free alternatives, such as bread, bagels and pasta. Even Pizza Hut have jumped on the gluten-free band wagon. But at often 2 or 3 times the price of the ‘normal’ products, do gluten free products really deserve all the healthy hype? A gluten-free diet is one which does not include the gluten protein found in wheat, rye and barley. It is a medically prescribed diet for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. More and more people are self-diagnosing gluten intolerance and adjusting their diets accordingly. However, of the people going gluten-free, only around 1 in 100 actually needs to do so. Pros of a gluten-free diet • People who are in fact gluten sensitive will see a reduction in their symptoms • There are numerous wholegrain alternatives to gluten ones, such as quinoa, amarantha and millet • Gluten-free flours, such as those made from quinoa, almonds and beans, are nutritionally smarter choices that traditional, bleached white flour. Cons of a gluten-free diet • It will increase your chances of developing nutrient deficiencies as many gluten-free products lack the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a healthy body. • It is a common misconception that the removal of gluten from your diet is a quick-fix weight loss trick. In fact, some gluten products can contain as much as 6 times the amount of saturated fat as the ordinary products. • It can make meal choices increasingly difficult. So whilst going gluten-free can be massively beneficial to those who have celiac disease or are intolerant, people without those conditions should think twice about the potential harm that adopting this seemingly ‘health’ way of eating could do.